There were quite a few stickers and recommendations on the front of the book. "Richard & Judy's summertime read 2005" said the first, but I'm not impressed by daytime television. "A fantastic story, you can almost taste the wonderful Italian food." said Jamie Oliver, but that didn't impress me either. Before you act on a recommendation you've got to respect the person who makes it. Then there was the bookshop's "3 for 2" sticker. That convinced me I needn't be quite so snobbish about my reading material.